1918 Air Mail Service Begins

The US Post Office began the first regulary scheduled air mail serviced on May 15th 1918 between New York and Washington. The first flight was made by Lietenant George Boyle, who started the service inauspiciously by following the wrong tracks heading south instead of north to New York.

The establishment of the U.S. airmail service was a significant event in both postal and aviation history. Prior to this, mail was generally transported by train, stagecoach, or steamship. Airmail offered the possibility of greatly reducing the time it took to send letters and packages over long distances.

The United States Post Office Department (the predecessor to the United States Postal Service) began its first regularly scheduled airmail service on May 15, 1918. The route was between Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. This new service was heavily publicized and seen as a major advancement in mail delivery.

The first flight, however, didn't go exactly as planned. Lieutenant George Boyle was selected to pilot the first flight from Washington D.C. to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Boyle was inexperienced and unfamiliar with the landscape. He was supposed to follow the railroad tracks north to New York but instead headed south, following the wrong set of tracks. Boyle's error resulted in the first delivery of airmail being somewhat of a fiasco.

Despite this inauspicious start, the airmail service was seen as a success and began to expand rapidly. New routes were added, and by the mid-1920s, a transcontinental route had been established. The U.S. airmail service helped pave the way for commercial aviation and played a crucial role in the development of airlines in the United States.